Don't Go Far Off
by thebloodoffandoms
Summary: Riley McKinzie is a normal human girl-she thinks. As a fangirl, she reads and obsesses, like we all do. Now she finds out that when she thought she was adopted, her father is actually a wizard, and her mum's a goddess. She has to unite the two worlds and help them defeat the darkness.
1. Chapter 1

Riley~

I sit in the 4th classroom of the science wing. I am the only one in the classroom, and Mr. Wilson, the teacher, is out in the hallway, talking to Mrs. Moran, another science teacher. I am about ready to cry out of frustration. I am not a girl of science. I am a girl of magic. At least I like to think I am. Anyway, I am a fangirl, with an over-obsession with books, and fictional characters. I am extremely smart, but I am horrible with science. I don't know why, because my dad says that math is the language of science, and I am amazing at math. But science goes against everything I read. All of the Greek myths and legends are real for me. There is nobody of my "species" of fangirl in this school, but I hope to meet one someday.

For now, I close my science book and open my sketchbook, and start adding the finishing details to a sketch of Percabeth sitting in the stables of the Argo II, going to Greece, before they fall into Tartarus. I hear someone slide into the chair next to me, almost inaudible. I assume that it is Mr. Wilson, so I close up my sketchbook and quickly slide it under my seat. I pretend to not know he was there so maybe he won't know that I am drawing, not studying.

"What were you drawing there?" comes the soft voice of a girl, not my gruff science teacher.

"Um… it's just something from my favorite book series." I say, still not looking up. Once I get up the courage though, I will look at her. I am not a people person. I like reading, writing, sketching, and being alone outside. "Probably nothing you would know about." I say, foolishly thinking that it is another girly triM, who does not know who Percy Jackson was. Little do I know I am wrong.

"Not likely,' says the girl's voice. I need to get up enough courage to look at her but I cannot yet. 'I can help you with your science if you want.' she says. I have to agree, because I need a better teacher than Mr. Wilson. So I do.

"Ok," I say, not knowing what else to do. I still don't look at her though. "Okay, yes, I need some help in science. Yes that would be good."

"Alright," she says. "But on one condition" _Uh-oh_, I think. I hate conditions. "You have to look at my face. Just for one second, I don't care. But I just want you to look at me."

_Oh-no,_ I think. _I can't look. But I have to. She told me to._ As this battle rages on inside my head, my body takes over and I look at her face for an instant. I then quickly have to look back because I am so shocked. She looks about my age, maybe 17 years old, with no makeup. She has long curly blonde hair, a deep tan, camp half-blood t-shirt, and shocking intelligent grey eyes. She looks so much like my hero, Annabeth. No, it can't be. I mean, I really, truly believe that the Greek gods are real and everything, but I never thought in a million years that I would actually meet… no, it can't be. She looks smoky, like she is not real, like a memory would look like if they existed in solid form. Or rather, gas form.

"So what do you need help with?" She asks, like me looking at her never happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Riley~

Just ten minutes later, I am much less confused that I was during class today. I actually understand how fossils were formed, and it makes sense that when the water gets squeezed out of mud, the mud turns into shale, not back into dirt. Earth science has always confused me more than anything else. Now what we learned actually helps my brain, but it won't change my beliefs.

"So this has always confused me. What actually is schist?" I ask as a final test.

"Well," she says, and then bursts into peals of laughter. I can't help but laugh with her, as I knew what she was laughing about. We laughed like we had known each other for years, like best friends. We laughed about so much more than just that joke. We shared all of our experiences-in real life for her, in books for me-with laughter.

Eventually, Mr. Wilson stops talking to Mrs. Moran and starts to come in the room, when the woman stops laughing and pokes me in the arm, points to Mr. Wilson, and dissipates into thin air. I think that I am hallucinating, that maybe I am wrong, that maybe that was not Annabeth, that maybe this was all in my mind, and that maybe I just wanted to know her so badly that I just made myself see it. _Whatever it was,_ I think, _it must be bad._

"How are you doing in here?" Mr. Wilson asks.

"Quite good actually," I reply, but I think very different thoughts. _No thanks to you,_ is what I really want to say, but I don't. Obviously, because if I did, I would get in trouble, that is the last thing I needed. "I think I get it. I can go home now." I say, speaking only the truth.

"Alright, if you think you understand it then go ahead." Mr. Wilson replies obviously confused, because I had never said that I understood something to do with science so quickly before. "And don't forget to do the homework for tomorrow." He reminds me, before I get a chance to leave, just to make sure that I don't forget. Oh, I won't.


	3. Chapter 3

Riley~

As I walk home, I think back on my day. So many things went weird. The girl, who could only be Annabeth, my hero, actually came to help me with science, and then disappeared, so I must have been hallucinating. There is no other explanation.

I walk into my house and say hello to my dad. "I have to go work on my homework." I say as casually as possible, and try to act cool, because though I am highly smart, I don't like homework (I mean, who does?) I usually read or plan out drawings for buildings. I want to be an architect when I grow up, even though I am horrible at science. I do not tell my dad why I really want to go to my room though. I want to see if the girl will come back, or come at all.

I sit down at my desk with my science textbook and worksheet, and try to comprehend what I have to do. As I pick up my pencil, I hear a person sit down on my bed.

"Hello," I hear the voice I am expecting say. "Would you like me to help you again?"

"Oh yes, please," I reply.

So she helps me with science for the second time today.

I finish in in record time. After I am done, I can't go downstairs, because my dad will start wondering why it took so little time to complete my science homework, so I stay in my room. Annabeth stays too.

"Here let me show you something," I say to her. I go over to my bookshelf and take out my Percy Jackson books and the Heroes of Olympus books, all in hardcover. I lay them all down on my bed. Then I take out my sketchbook and lay it next to the books. Now I speak. "I've read all of the books at least three times. I'm a huge fan of you guys." I start. I finish by saying, "Even though Percy is the main character, I've always looked up to you. You are so brave, and so strong. I've always wanted to meet you. Plus I want to be an architect like you when I grow up."

"I know who you're thinking of but that's… that's not actually me, you'll understand later. That's also why we chose you though. You are special. You are and have always been that way. We think maybe… never mind. We will wait until you are ready. I don't know if your mind can handle all of that at one time after only one day. I must go back…" She and her voice fade away.

What did she mean about that not actually being her? I guess that maybe I am wrong after all, but I am determined to tell my best friend, Cole, about it tomorrow, and see if she comes back.


	4. Chapter 4

Sofi~

My visit with the girl yesterday went as planned. I altered my eye color in the illusion, so that I looked like my mother at age 17, so the girl would trust me more. She did not seem to know anything about her real past yet, so that was good. I assumed her father had made up a lie about her mother and, well, himself. Now I just had to go back in enough time to tell her the truth, so she can find out her real story and see her real fate.

"Sophronia Marina Jackson!" my mother calls my full name up the stairs, so I know she must be mad. I hate my full name. It means wisdom sea maiden but I still find it embarrassing. Although my mother did give it to me for a reason. "Get down here this instant!" She calls a second later.

"Alright mom, I'm coming!" I yell back. I set down my book and make my way down the stairs. I honestly have no idea what I did to upset my strict mother. When I reach the kitchen, I see my mother and father sitting at our small wood table looking disappointed. My father's deep sea green eyes bore into mine, and I worry, because my father is always the cheerful man with crazy black hair, that buys me ice cream without my mother knowing, and never the serious man I see in front of me.

"Sophronia," She says in a disapproving tone, again saying my full name. Usually she calls me Sophi or Soph. "I heard that you went back to the girl, after you were supposed to. Is this correct?"

"I… well…"

"Just tell me the truth Sophi, and we won't be mad," my father says, then adds with a smile on his face, "Well, maybe your mother would but-" He gets cut off by a glare from my mother, "sorry Wisegirl."

"Yes, I went back after I was supposed to. But she needed help with her homework and I just couldn't resist-"

"That's enough Sophi. Just please don't do it again. We don't want to risk giving her information on who she really is. We just want you to gain her trust so that we can bring her to camp. And… the school. She's the only one of her kind as far as we can tell."

"The only one of her kind? I thought you said that she was a demigod? And what other school?" I say, confused as to what they are referring to.

"Ah well, you see, she is half Greek god-Zeus is her father to be exact-but she's half of something else as well, also not _exactly_ human. They're called wizards. They have very powerful magic, and that can be dangerous, so they are hidden away, not known to mortals, like us. However, a wizard came to me asking for help because their world has joined with ours.

"A bad wizard was once in their world Sophi, his name was Voldemort. A very famous wizard named Harry Potter killed him. But Voldemort had followers, and though he was killed, his followers survived, and they want to wipe out the wizards again."

"But I don't see how any of this has to do with us."

"Ah Sophi, that is where it gets dangerous. It has everything to do with us. You see, these wizards decided to team up with many of the Greek nasties to create the ultimate killing machine."

"So now they're after these wizards _and_ the demigods? And we have to work together, two different types of people, and try to defeat… whoever is after us?"

"Exactly," my mother confirms. "And I believe that the girl, Riley Rosanna McKenzie, is the only thing that can save us, because she is a part of both worlds. I'm still looking through the births from 1994-1998, because that is when the demigod/wizards would have been born. Riley was born in 1997 on February 7th and there have been no others so far. I still have almost two whole years left to search though, so there could be more possible candidates."

"Candidates for… what exactly?"

My father has been quiet this whole time, but now he speaks up and says, "The quest of course! And it can't involve any direct children of the gods, which would be too dangerous traveling with such a powerful girl, so a descendant of the gods perhaps? I was thinking you Soph," he points at me, winking.

"Now let's not get too excited Percy," my mother says. "I know some friends who have children that might go too." My father looks surprised and sends my mother a questioning look. She replies with a nod and a raise of the eyebrows, and a slight smile.

In turn, my father looks excited and says "Are we going to see them?"

"In a week. We're all going to New York, except for Calypso. She…"

"Yeah," my father replies. The whole Calypso thing is still a bit touchy for my mother. My father looks sad, but only for a second, when he looks excited again. "Soph, after we won the war, all of the seven got a chance to live a normal life. Me and Annabeth-"

"Annabeth and I," my mother says, correcting him, but he finishes without stopping.

"-were allowed to move here, to England, get married, and have children. The rest of the seven moved, got married, and had children. Reyna and Jason moved to Denver and had a daughter. Frank and Hazel moved to California, and had a son. Leo freed Calypso, moved to Texas, and had two children, a son and a daughter. We haven't seen each other in thirteen years; right after Hazel's son was born. I've missed them so much…"

"Alright, that's enough. Off to bed for you."

My head was spinning out of control when I walked back upstairs. I had learned so much tonight, and I had to do a bigger job than I thought before. I had to get together all of my parents' friends' children and a special girl, and go on a quest to save the world. I had many questions for my parents but for now, I lie down in my bed and let sleep take me.


	5. Chapter 5

Sofi~

I have a dream, and even by demigod standards, it's pretty bad.

I'm in a bedroom and there's a girl lying on the bed, asleep. The clock on her nightstand reads 3:04. Why I am having a dream about a girl at 3:04 in the morning I have no idea, and I am about to turn around and leave when her phone rings. I change my question to _who_ would be calling her at 3:04 in the morning, and turn back around to watch. The girl wakes up immediately, and as soon as she sees the caller ID, her whole body deflates, and I can see tears in her eyes. She answers, and doesn't say anything, only nods, until she hangs up and collapses on the bed. I stand there awkwardly watching the girl cry, until finally the scene changes.

Now I am in a large hall with many people. The hall is burnt and charred, and it seems as though there was just a battle of some sorts. I feel very exposed standing in the midst of so many people, but I am not noticed, as in any other dream. I look to my left and almost cry out in horror. There are a few teenagers crowded around a dead body. It is the body of a small boy, probably about nine years old. There is blood trickling from his mouth and he looks so… scared. As if the last feeling that he felt before he died was fear and it was permanently plastered to his face. Who could do this to a child so young? I want to comfort the girl who was crying with her back to me, but the scene dissolved once more.

Again I am in a long hall; however this one is virtually empty. I watch as a handsome boy and a pretty girl approach from one side of the hall, and a twenty year old woman comes from the other. They stop right in front of me. Again, I feel exposed as they go on having a conversation right in front of me, without noticing me. As the woman announces someone's death, the girl breaks down in tears, apparently in denial that she was dead. The boy is also in denial because he is standing completely still, not breathing or blinking, only shaking his head and whispering the word _no, no, no_ over and over again. For the last time, the scene dissolves.

There is a battle going on, and a girl is right in the middle of it. For the third time, I feel exposed and raw in the middle of such a dramatic scene. I do not know why I feel this way, I normally do not notice that I'm even in a dream, but this one was different. A girl stands in the midst of the battle, on fire, screaming a name that I can't quite make out. I go closer and hear "Prim! _Priiiiim!_ Noooooo…!" She screams a terrible scream, the scream of someone who has lost so much, and finally broke. I cry out in protest, why am I being shown this? The dream is so terrible, I just want it to end, end, but I can't seem to make it go away. Finally, I hear a voice break through the girl's screaming. The sound of someone saying my name finally yanks me out of this torture that is my dream.


	6. Chapter 6

Sofi~

"Sophi! Sophi? Hey Soph, are you okay?"

I sit up shaking all over, blinking the sleep out of my eyes. I look around to see who it was speaking, and it was my mother, her deep grey eyes boring into my own. I'm covered in a cold sweat, and I was probably whimpering in my sleep. I can tell why my mother is worried about me, but I'm not sure if I'm ok myself. After seeing those scenes of death, I should be grateful that my life is so much better, but I don't. It just makes me feel worse, because living the life of a demigod isn't an easy one.

"You have a long day ahead of you, with meeting our friends, and finding the crossover girl," she says. "Speaking of her, I've found another one just like her. A boy this time," she finishes. I don't really know what to say.

"Great I guess? I reckon we're gonna have to find him too, right?"

"Yeah, we are. Sorry Soph, but we're going do a lot of traveling today. I'll explain the game plan for today. First we're going to fly to New York, and I've contacted Riley's dad, and convinced him they are going on a vacation they won at a lottery. He bought it I guess. They're flying from the same airport, so we'll get to meet them before New York, but I won't be able to explain the truth. Then once we get there, we'll pick up Ethan, and bring them all back to Camp Half-Blood, where we'll meet all of my friend's children, and we'll explain the truth to everyone. Get up and get dressed. Then we've got to be at the airport in an hour. I hope you've packed."

As it turned out, I hadn't. For the next half hour I rush around the room packing some shorts, tee-shirts, sweaters, jeans, underwear, toiletries, pajamas, and books into my trunk, at which point I drag it downstairs, and we hail a cab to get to the airport.

I'd never been on an airplane before, or in an airport. As we got to the correct gate, I spot Riley, and she spots me. She gasps, and jumped back in her seat. Her father tries to ask her what was the matter, and she is quite obviously trying to deny seeing anything.

We take our seats in the waiting area, and after sitting for a while, I get up and walk to a Starbucks. After a second, she makes an excuse to her dad and walks after me.

"What are you doing here?" She asks after catching up with me. "Are you even real this time? Why did the color of your eyes change?"

"I'm sorry about that. I am real this time." She pokes me just to make sure. I most definitely do not dissolve into mist.

"_Di immortalis_," she gasps, "You are real! Ok, what are you doing here?"

"I can't really tell you that now. When we get to New York my mum will explain…" I pause, looking for the right word for this situation. "Everything to you and some other people like you. It'll make more sense later, don't worry."

"People… like me?" She sounds anxious, but I can tell she's excited at the prospect of 'people like her.'

"Don't worry about it," I repeat.

The flight was long and boring. My father was quite jumpy the whole time; I guess the whole thing with the son of Poseidon and the rivalry with Zeus and all that. While he was tense the whole time, I watched a movie; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 2, and reread for the umpteenth time the story of my parent's legacy, The Lightning Thief.

When we finally landed, we got a cab, and drove to Camp Half-Blood, where all the cars were driving on the wrong side of the road. After another long and boring journey we were finally at our destination.


	7. Chapter 7

Ethan~

I wakes up sweating from a horrifying dream. There were four deaths, each getting progressively sadder and scarier.

"It's time to tell you the truth Ethan. Sit down."

I nearly jump out of my bed when I hear my mother speak.

"I already was sitting, or rather lying, until you came in here. How long have you been sitting there?" I ask her, not hearing her come in.

"Long enough to see you moaning in your sleep. What were you dreaming about?"

"Doesn't matter. What's the 'truth'," I shiver, still half asleep.

"Come downstairs. Now."

I slowly rise out of my warm and tempting bed to go downstairs at 5:36 in the morning. I trudge down the stairs; my mother and father are both already sitting at the table with a plate of pancakes in front of them. I sit down and my father pushes the pancakes in front of me.

"Eat up. We're going on a trip to New York. It'll be explained on the plane but get dressed and pack all your clothes. You might be there for a while."

I quickly scarf down the remaining pancake bites then dash upstairs. I've always wanted to go to New York, but why they would spontaneously take me there on the last week of school makes no sense. But my parents' seriousness and my mother's weirdness about telling me the truth makes me think that it's serious. So I waste no time in taking my parent's largest suitcase and packing nearly all of my clothes in it.

It thumps down each step only fifteen minutes later, after I've taken a shower and changed into clean clothes.

An envelope gets shoved into my hand and someone says, "don't open this until you get on the plane." I can't tell if it's mom or dad who says it in the bustle to get out the door and into a taxi. Why do they have to keep making it seem like I'm going alone?

My mother checks the huge suitcase while my father and I sit on a couch by the side. Before we go through security, my mother hands me my ticket and tells me to go along and be a good boy, and they will be there soon.

I get on the plane and they aren't here. Finally some strangers sit in the middle and end seats, so I decide to read the letter. My hands tremble as I slide my first finger through the flap.

_Ethan,_

_I'm really sorry son, but we're not going to New York with you. We got a call yesterday from some English folks, and they told us the truth about you. Here's the truth, son. You're adopted. We're not your real parents. We knew nothing about you when we got you; you were found on some road somewhere and you were brought to an orphanage. These folks told us that you were the son of some Greek god and some magic person or something. They said we had to send you to New York so they could train you up to defeat the darkness. We won't be seeing you for a while Ethan._

_When you get there, a lady called Annabeth Chase will be waiting for you. You go with her to where you will be living. You're going to be staying with a girl who's_ like you _in an apartment. Don't try anything funny now. We trust you son. And we love you. Be a good boy for the people in the 'big apple'_

_mom and dad_

I lay my head back in the seat and, not caring that I am 17 years old, let the tears roll down my cheeks.


	8. Chapter 8

Ethan~

At some point I fall asleep on the plane ride, which is very unlike myself. I wake up when I land in Chicago, then get on the second plane, the one that goes to Newark, New Jersey. When I get off the plane, I see a blonde lady with kind gray eyes.

"Are you Annabeth?" I ask her.

"You must be Ethan. Welcome to New Jersey," she says in a precise British accent that makes her sound even smarter than she already looks with those piercing gray eyes. I think, _she must be a professor of something._ "Follow me. I have a car, I'll drive you to where you'll be staying with Riley for a while."

I know not to trust strangers, it's the first thing you learn when you live in a big city, but this woman looks so wise and so kind, that I follow her anyway

She has a nice car that I assume is rented, but it's cool anyway. We stop at an apartment complex just outside of the city.

"Here we are. Your room is 317. Riley should still be inside. And do be nice to her, she's feeling just as uncomfortable as you are."

I grab the key and open the door to the car and step out. She pulls away and I stare up at the tall building. Somewhere inside there is a strange room with a strange girl in it who has a strange voice, and there is strange furniture and strange food and that is to be mine for the time that I am in New York.

I unlock the door and a girl, presumably Riley, is sitting on the sofa wearing a gray newsboy cap, stroking a random cat.

"Where'd you get the cat?"

She looks inquisitively up at me. Then she gets abruptly up, taking the cat with her, and walks to the bedroom. I sigh and bring my suitcase to the side of the sofa opposite to where Riley was sitting before. I sit down. Eventually Riley walks to the tiny kitchen, so I take the chance to explore the way-too-small-for-two-people-who've- never-met house. I leave my suitcase by the sofa and walk into the only bedroom. I glance around the room and close my eyes, exasperated. There is one, queen sized bed in the room.

I walk back to the living area and take the cushions off the sofa. Of course it's not a pull-out bed. I slouch on the cushionless sofa and put my hands over my eyes.

"I've already checked. You're the one sleeping on the floor," at this, Riley flops on the sofa and kicks her legs onto my side.

She takes her hat off and puts it over her face. I sit there awkwardly for a minute until she says, "Well make yourself comfortable. It's your flat too," from under her hat. I chuckle at her British ways and swing my legs up next to hers the opposite way. I grab the remote and turn on the television to a random channel I can see her wince beneath her hat. As long as she can't see me, I take a chance to get a good look at her. She was beautiful: thick blonde hair that just reached her shoulders, a slim figure, and just the right height.

As always, on instinct, my hands start flying, making some gadget out of random materials around me. Some people get annoyed by this habit, and clearly Riley did not enjoy it.

"Can you not? That's my stuff you're messing around with. I'd prefer you didn't," she says sarcastically and angrily.

I look down at my hands to see what I was doing. I have made some sort of machine thing, that I have no idea what it does, but my fingers move at the speed of light to take it apart. I set all the pieces on the table and look at her ashamed.

"What's your favorite color? Mines blue," She swiftly continues not giving me a chance to speak my opinion.

"Umh...red probably. Why?"

"I don't enjoy humans, and Annabeth, my hero, told me to be nice to you. So I'm giving you a chance. It would be awkward if we never spoke."

"Yeah but It's even awkwarder to speak to a strange girl that has a funny voice."

"Why don't you like it. Everyone in America likes it."

"Ok, I like it, whatever," I say rolling my eyes, though I really did like it. It made her sound like a genius. "Just go to bed. We've got places to be tomorrow, things to learn-"

"Fictional characters to meet," she says with a dreamy expression.

"Oh, you're one of those kind of girls," I say with a look of disgust.

"Yeah, I'm one of those kinds of girls. Got a problem with that?"

"Yeah sort of. Now go to bed for goodness sake."

She gets up and walks to the small bedroom and I hear a "you're not my mum," in a sarcastic voice. I sigh and set out a blanket on the sofa and lie down. It's going to be a long stay.


	9. Chapter 9

The morning brings bright sunlight streaming in through the curtainless windows that lined the walls of the cramped room. "Places to be, things to learn, fictional characters to meet," I propel myself out of bed. A shower, a warm English breakfast, then off to fulfill my dreams.

I shiver as cold water runs over my bare shoulders. The water will not budge from a temperature of about 10 degrees. That's 50 degrees to you Americans. Either way, it's bloody cold in the shower.

I get out plenty quick, and change into my CHB shirt that I obviously have, because I have nearly every piece of fandom merch imaginable. I put on my best pair of jean shorts as well, and blow dry my hair. As soon as the straight locks are dry, I pin them up with the thick pins that I use every time I go out. I check my appearance. Thick glasses, pinned up hair, CHB outfit. I smile a bit then open the door.

I don't know what I expect to see when I opened the door, but I didn't expect to smell breakfast. I follow the smell to the kitchen, where the least likely person is standing there, cooking sausages.

"Ethan! what the hell?"

He turns around and glances at my face. Taking his hand off the pan he says quietly, "ta-da," and offers a small and apologetic smile. He slides the sausages onto the plate, and places the plate at a seat across from where he sits down. Not taking a bite, I sit down and simply stare at him.

"What is this?"

"Um, well. I made breakfast."

"Clearly," I roll my eyes.

"I wanted to apologize for last night. I realize we didn't get off to a great start. But I wanted to make you feel at home, so I made a traditional English breakfast...for you to... you know...eat.

I pick up the fork tentatively, not looking away from Ethan the whole time. I take a bite and relish the taste. It really tastes like my dad's cooking when he made a hot breakfast on the weekends.

"Alright, well um, this is delicious, and now chat up, tell me when you did this."

"Last night."

"You went to the shop at night to get ingredients to make breakfast for a girl you don't even know."

"Uh...well...um...yeah. I made it this morning while you were taking a shower."

"I can't believe you actually did that."

"Oh my god, why are you making such a big deal out of it. I was being kind."

"I don't like kindness."

"You two. Fighting like an old married couple." I turn to see Sofi standing by the door.

"Sofi!" I exclaim, eyes wide open. "When did you get here."

"Slipped in a few seconds ago. You were too busy arguing to notice."

I hear a slap from the other side of the table and look across just in time to see Ethan whisper, "girls," as he facepalms.

"Geez, let it go, Sofi."

"Let it go, let it go, can't hold it ba-" she sings, mocking.

"No, none of that 'Frozen' abomination," Ethan demands from across the table.

"What's the matter with a little children's movie?" Sofi retorts.

"What is this you speak of," I question.

"Doesn't matter silly. Now get ready to go. Both of you," she nods to Ethan. I push the plate towards him as the door shuts softly behind Sofi.

"I'll wash the dishes. Ju-just get ready," he gets up and walks past my seat on the way to the bedroom. "Wait," I touch his shoulder gently as he walks past. I stand up so I'm just a couple centimeters shorter than him. "I just...thanks." I surprise even myself by leaning up and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. He blushes and quickly walk away.


	10. Chapter 10

Ethan

It was taking a while for Riley to wash the dishes, much longer than it took me to get ready. I offered to help her, but she acted like the kiss on the cheek never happened and went back to her old sour attitude and refused my help. While she was finishing up in the kitchen, I took out of my suitcase the letter that my parents gave me at the airport. I read it again. It couldn't be true, could it? We got a call from some English folks, it said.

So they'd just send me away like that? From just a call from some people they didn't even know? The emotions overwhelmed me once again, a fresh set after a day for them to build up pressure behind my eyes until I felt like I was going to explode. I didn't want to show Riley how much inner conflict I was feeling, but it was hard to hide it. To start off with, I was scared and disappointed in the fact that my parents sent me away with no warning and not a second thought. Also the fact that they never told me I was adopted. Not to mention, everything was so strange, with no one telling me what was really going on.

The letter was crinkly from my dried tears, and I wanted nothing more than to tear it to bits, but I couldn't bring myself to do that because it might be the last thing I get from my parents in a while. Instead, I threw it to the floor angrily, and buried my head in my hands.

"Ethan?" Riley said quietly from the entrance to the very small kitchen. "Are you ready to go?"

"Coming," I said, and instinctively reached for my car keys, which were not there, because I did not live here, my car was thousands of miles and several hours away. I sighed, and stood up. "Do you know how we're getting there? And where is there is?"

"Nope!" she replied enthusiastically, trying hard to ignore my obvious discomfort and sadness only seconds previously. "But I'm excited!"

Downstairs we met Sophi and she took us out to where her mother, Annabeth was sitting waiting for us in the parking lot. "Hello children," she said kindly. "Nice to see you all in one place," she paused. "And in one piece," she said looking warmly at Riley. "Now I know this is strange for all of you, and I said I'd explain later, but you're going to have to wait a bit longer for an explanation. It's all a bit complicated getting everyone settled in on such a fast notice. I hope you all understand."

The car ride was awkward, but luckily short. No one said much of anything; it's not like there was nothing to say, it just all went unsaid. It was the same sick car as the other day, and now as I looked around closer, it was clearly rented. I tried to notice as many things as I could to keep my mind off of my current situation.

I noticed that there wasn't a single cloud to break up the monotony of the pure, perfect blue sky

I noticed the ruralness of the area we were driving through. I thought New York was all about big cities

I noticed how nice Riley's hair looked pinned back like that..

I noticed the generic dice plushies hanging from the center mirror in the car

Eventually I was lulled into a sense of calmness and security, until she pulled up next to an empty valley and told us to get out of the car.


	11. Chapter 11

Sophi

I'd heard about camp before, of course I had, being the daughter of the two most famous heroes since Odysseus himself, but I didn't expect it to be so... grand? Is that the word? Humongous, I guess is what I'm trying to say. I don't know the reason: if after the war the gods just got it with humans more, or now they were more likely to except their own children, but there were, no joke, hundreds of kids; demigods, saytrs, dryads, and others, practicing archery, playing dodgeball, swimming, canoeing, rock climbing, and rushing in and out of cabins. It even looked as though the big three had made up and decide to have kids again, because even Poseidon's, Hades's and Zeus's cabins were bustling with kids. There were so many kids that it looked as if every cabin had in addition to it, or some sort of major renovation to expand upon it to fit more demigods. In fact, the only houses that looked untouched and in pristine order were Hera's and Artemis's, which would make sense. The big house had the look of being given a new coat of paint recently, red this time, but it was already chipping.

I looked at all my companions one at a time. Riley had my favourite reaction, though everyone was mind blown. Her eyes were as big as a new born baby's and just as curious. She was as excited as I'd ever seen anyone and I wanted to laugh because I knew her excitement would die once she knew what was expected of her, though I didn't even know what that was.

My mother just looked nostalgic, and I knew she was thinking about her girl years. I wondered how many of these people she knew, and how much has changed. She must be glad to be back, but also must remember all the people who died here, sacrificed for the greater good.

Riley may have been the mysterious but beautiful girl, but Ethan was the one I didn't think I'd ever understand. He just looked confused. He kept pinching himself to see if it was real, but I didn't see any reason it wouldn't be. Then again, I had grown up hearing stories of my parents past, all the impossible things that happened to them, and Riley had grown up reading those same stories, however this was all new to Ethan, I suppose he just couldn't wrap his head around any of it.

I adjusted where I was so I was walking next to Ethan and said to him, "It's just easier if you believe it now, try don't try and make too much sense of it, your brain will hurt."

"But, but how? I mean, that girl just turned into a tree," he said pointing out a dryad running away from a son of Apollo.

I couldn't help but be a little condescending. "Honey, that's hardly the weirdest of it."

I turned it to Riley, grabbing her hand, shaking it excitedly. Neither of us said anything, we both just laughed excitedly, and she squeezed my hand.

"All right girls," my mother said. "Time to settle down, we have work to do."

The inside of the big house was much larger than it looks from the outside. I briefly wondered if it was bigger on the inside, but then quickly cast that thought away. I figured we would be met by Chiron, the centaur, but instead a beautiful brown haired woman met us at the door. I had never seen her before, but I had a guess on who she was. My mother looked surprised to see her.

"Piper?"


End file.
